Winter Moon
by o Mischief Managed
Summary: OneShot. Second in EQUINOX series. "In dark times, through the nights that seem to last forever. That's when she glows the brightest."


Second in my EQUINOX Series! Make sure you read **Autumn Sun** first if you don't want to be minorly confused!

Again, here's the order:  
>FIRST: Autumn Sun<br>SECOND: Winter Moon  
>THIRD: Spring Star<br>FOURTH: Summer Sky

And here are the common themes: *ahem*

TTTTT

**EACH IS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSON'S POV.** Yes, they all go together. But you're in someone else's head each time, yeah? :D

**ALL FOUR ARE SET ABOUT TEN YEARS IN THE FUTURE FROM THE PRESENT TIME. MOST OF THE GANG ARE 25.** I think they all say vaguely at some point specifics about the timing, but you'll see.

**THESE STORIES ARE TOLD MOSTLY THROUGH FLASHBACK. ALL FLASHBACK SCENES WILL BE IN _ITALICS._** There's some stuff that happens real-time, and the flashbacks take place at various times over the years between the current manga and the setting of this series. SO: If you see a bunch of text in italics, IT'S FLASHBACK, okay? Italics=Flashback, Normal=Real time.

**ALL 4 ARE SONGFICS. THE LYRICS WILL BE PRINTED IN _BOLD ITALICS_ THROUGHOUT THE STORY.** Self-explanatory :D

TTTTT

SONG FOR THIS STORY: **Find My Way Back** by **Four Year Strong**

* * *

><p>"ARGH! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE LEFT THAT IDIOT ALONE!"<p>

"Calm down, Gokudera. We only left because he told us to. He said he'd find—"

"I _KNOW_ THAT! But if he got out like he said he would, then WHERE THE HELL IS HE?"

"I… I don't know. We've been looking for over an hour. I feel like we should've found him by now…"

"…This is all my fault. It was my decision to leave. I should've listened to the Tenth and—"

"Just stop it. We _all_ followed you. This wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, but I started—"

"Gokudera—"

"You guys didn't even have a chance to—"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

"Wha—Vongola, hey!"

"Lambo? What's wrong?"

"He just passed out. He's losing a lot of blood… We can't keep hanging around here, or…"

"…Gokudera. It's been long enough. We have to go."

"He said he'd be here. I'm not leaving until we—"

"JUST GIVE IT UP ALREADY! DO YOU WANNA LOSE TSUNA TOO?"

"…"

"Y-Yamamoto… The Boss… We have to get him home…"

"Chrome's right. Hibari, can you help Lambo?"

"Hm."

"Come on, Gokudera. …It's over."

"Yamamoto…"

"I know. There's nothing we can do."

_**I can't believe what this is doing to me  
><strong>__**I've seen so many cities fall down to their knees**_

Wherever I am, it's dark. Even with my eyes open, I can't see a thing. The dull throbbing in my head and right arm is steadily increasing as my senses kick back into gear. My brain is vaguely aware of the two-and-a-half-foot splinter of chipped wood lodged in my right shoulder, restricting my movement and sending jolts of numb pain through my body every few seconds. The position I've crammed myself into in this small, dark space is so uncomfortable that my legs have gone numb during my time of unconsciousness. All in all, I'd call it _extremely_ annoying.

Deciding I'd better force my way outside, I tentatively reach out in front of me and feel a smooth surface, albeit a bit rusty. There's a handle near the floor I'm sitting on, but of course pulling it yields no effect. Instead I shift position so my legs are in front of me, feet against the door/wall/surface/whatever-it-is. After taking a deep breath of the stale air around me, just to try and clear my head a bit, I muster my weakened strength and kick out as hard as I can. Thankfully, the rust I felt on the door didn't lie and it gives way, crashing back to reveal a small, cornered opening, roughly three square feet in size. Beyond it is open air.

I carefully slide out and drop the four or so feet to the ground, on which the footing is considerably less stable than I hoped, causing me to stumble and fall to my hands and knees. I lift my head to look around, vision still spinning.

_**I'm begging you please  
><strong>__**Don't bury me underneath their crumbled walls**_

I'm crouched in what looks like an endless pile of rubble which stretches for yards around. Shattered glass, broken drywall, splintered wood, and crumbled concrete litter the ground. Dust is still rising gently into the open night air, giving evidence that the collapse had happened in recent hours. I glance behind me and see that the rusted metal structure I emerged from is embedded in one of the very few chunks of wall still left standing. Looking around, I notice with a pang that the wooden dagger impaling my shoulder looks a lot worse than I thought it did. Before I can dwell on it much, I grip the sharp end of the splinter with my left hand, grit my teeth tightly, and, with a pained grunt, yank it as evenly as I can away from me. It pulls clean, splattering blood on a slab of light tan drywall beside me. I drop the now-bloodstained sliver of wood in the rubble, cringing as the wound in my shoulder stings fresh against the night air.

My head still clouded and fuzzy, I climb shakily to my feet, squeezing my eyes shut to quell the dizziness. I put a hand on the back of my head to steady it and instantly feel a mixture of dried and damp blood. _Well, that explains the aching…_ I think ruefully. I guess my condition should be expected, though. After all, you don't run through and hide in a collapsing twenty-three-story building and walk away completely unscathed. At least now that I'm on my feet, my memory is starting to return…

_**My barren thoughts weigh heavier  
><strong>__**Than the weight of my demands**_

_The entire building was shaking. Old, broken light fixtures were falling from the walls. Disused tables were collapsing left and right. If there'd been guests inside, they'd be running for their lives. In that respect, it was a good thing the Hizashi Hotel had been abandoned for years now. The downside to this fact was of course the weak, decaying structure._

"_Get going!" I yelled over my shoulder, dodging a swing from the man in front of me._

"_Are you nuts? We're not leaving you here!"_

"_Who said I was staying?" I ducked low and threw a punch at my opponent. It connected squarely with his jaw, sending him flying backward a few feet as I turned back to face Sawada and the others. "Come on!" They turned and ran a little ahead of me as I chanced a brief look over my shoulder to make sure we weren't being followed. The coast was clear, but diverting my attention proved to be a mistake. Just then, a loud rumble sounded from somewhere above us near the high ceiling of the hotel lobby. Next thing we knew, the ceiling had collapsed, and piles and piles of rubble were falling straight toward us. We all dove as far from the wreckage's path as we could, the sound of materials colliding deafening our ears._

_When the worst was over, I raised my head to look around. The late afternoon sky was visible far above where I lay, and the floor all around me was covered in rubble. I clambered to my feet and turned around to be faced with a startling sight in the form of a ten-foot-tall wall of dangerous wreckage stretching the length of the lobby, completely blocking my path._

_**I feel the pressure building up inside my head  
><strong>__**I feel the distance drowning me in my own sweat**_

"_Sasagawa!" Yamamoto's voice called from the other side of the wall. "Where are you?"_

"_I'm over here!" I shouted in reply. "You guys okay?"_

"_We're fine," he answered, relief in his voice. "We're gonna try and break through this pile of junk."_

"_Good idea!"_

_For a little we did our best to clear a path through the rubble, but it didn't take long for us to realize it was no use. All we served was to clear a tiny hole so I could at least see through to where they were._

…_We were wasting time._

'_**Cause I need the cold now  
><strong>__**It's my turn to roll out all the stops  
><strong>__**And show that I know where I have to go**_

"_Guys," I said, trying to keep my voice light. "This isn't working. Just go! I'll find a different way out."_

"_I already… told you…" Sawada said through gritted teeth, glaring at me through the small hole. "We're not leaving you behind!" He was kneeling on the ground in a hunch, one arm wrapped tightly around his stomach. It didn't hide the blood seeping out from beneath it._

_I knew there was no arguing with the Vongola boss, but we really were wasting time. The building was coming down whether we got out or not, and it was clear no one was getting through this wall of rubble. So I tried a different approach. I turned to Gokudera._

"_Look. The boss is hurt, and we're running low on time. We can't afford to stick around here and argue. I'll find another way out on my own! Just get going already!" I mustered the most serious glare I could and stared him in the eye until he understood that I meant everything I was saying._

"_Alright," he conceded. Yamamoto looked like he wanted to protest, but he remained quiet. Chrome's eyes widened, Hibari shook his head, and Lambo frowned. But only one of them spoke up._

"_WHAT? I said NO! We're not going anywhere!"_

_I was surprised to see Gokudera ignore Sawada and turn to me instead. "But you'd better make it out."_

_**I've got to find my way back  
><strong>__**Retrace my steps so I can prove to you that  
><strong>__**I'm alive**_

_I shot him a determined grin. "Wait for me outside, okay?"_

_He nodded, before turning to his boss, who continued to protest. "I'm sorry, Tenth," he said, before wrapping an arm around Sawada's chest and proceeding to drag him away from me and the wall, taking advantage of the latter's present weakened state._

"_Let go of me!" I heard him continue to yell as he disappeared from my sight. His voice was hoarse and weak, almost painful to hear. I wished he'd stop shouting and save his strength, but there wasn't a very high chance of that. I watched silently until they were gone, before mentally kicking myself into gear. I had an exit to find, and by the looks of things, not much time to do it._

_**Crawling my way back to the place I know is meant for me  
><strong>__**To find my way back  
><strong>__**Find my way back home**_

_Okay, so I was in an old hotel. Hotels had service entrances, right? There had to be one around somewhere. Maybe if I just tried every door on the ground floor, I'd find it. It wasn't a great plan, but it was a plan. …At least until the walls started coming down around me._

_I don't know how I ended up outrunning the collapsing walls beside me, but somehow I managed. I turned a corner behind the front desk and found a door that wasn't blocked yet by fallen rubble. Not caring where it led, I rushed forward and wrenched it open, throwing myself inside and slamming it shut behind me._

_Mistake._

_**I feel the heat and what it's doing to me  
><strong>__**I've been cooling in my own skin to hide my face  
><strong>__**It's hard to relate  
><strong>__**Forget the way you feel when you are safe at home**_

_Before me was a dark staircase leading down into the basement. The hotel likely hadn't had power for years, so it was pitch black in the depths below. Not an ideal place to run when in a collapsing building. I made to turn and find another door, but the wall across from it had chosen that exact moment to finally give in. Before I could even spin to face the basement door behind me, an immense force slammed into my back, splintering the door into a hundred wooden slivers and knocking me off my feet and sending me tumbling headfirst down the cold stone steps, wood and drywall clambering after me._

_I don't remember landing. I don't remember being buried in rubble. I do remember waking up a few minutes (at least I think it was a few minutes) later, a pile of wreckage pinning me to the floor and intense pain originating from my right shoulder and the back of my head. Ignoring the discomfort, I sat up and shoved the rubble off of me in one motion. The change in orientation caused my vision to swim and my head to throb. When my eyes steadied, I noticed a rather unpleasant sight in the form of a dangerous-looking splinter of wood sticking resolutely out from my right shoulder. It was a bloodless puncture wound for the time being, so I chose to leave it be, regardless of the insistent pain it was causing. It would be easier to move around and find an exit if I wasn't dizzy from blood loss._

_**Leaving this world alone, stone by stone  
><strong>__**If only I had known  
><strong>__**About the pressure building up inside my head  
><strong>__**I feel the distance drowning me in my own sweat**_

_I stood up unstably and shook my head to clear the haziness. Upon inspecting my environment, I realized I was in a basement storage room below the hotel. I knew it wasn't safe to be there. Dust was falling in thin streams from the ceiling, which was threatening to give way any second. I jogged away from the now-blocked staircase, hoping to find another way to get back up to ground level._

_Upon exiting through a metal door, I found myself in a wide kitchen. The building was really shaking now and all around me things were out of place. Rusted pots and pans were crashing out of cupboards. Dusty dishes were falling from shelves and smashing against the concrete floor. The room was filled with the rattling of glass and tin against wood and cement, and the ground was vibrating beneath my feet. I could tell without even looking that this hotel didn't have much time left. And if I didn't make it out of there, neither did I._

_And then it hit me. There had to be a way for the cooks to get food up to the ground floor. Looking around frantically, I finally laid eyes on a dumbwaiter in the center of the far wall of the room and I ran straight for it. It was half-blocked by an upturned table, which I shoved aside before prying it open. The door came completely off its hinges, but it didn't matter. I inspected the inside to make sure the rope would hold, before climbing in as best I could. It was a tight fit, especially with the sliver of wood still stuck fast in my shoulder, but it's surprising what you can manage when your life depends on it. As quickly as I could while still taking care, I pulled the rope and wheeled myself in the dumbwaiter up through the inside wall, plunging myself into darkness as the kitchen opening disappeared. It wasn't far to go. I could make it…_

'_**Cause I need the cold now  
><strong>__**It's my turn to roll out all the stops  
><strong>__**And show that I know where I have to go**_

And I did. Thankfully the metal chute which housed the dumbwaiter was more or less impervious to the falling wreckage of the hotel. I have no idea what time it is now or how long it's been since the collapse. I told the others to wait for me… Did they? I vaguely remember waking once and hearing their voices, but my head starts to throb again so I abandon the search for that memory.

"Heh… So they left me after all, huh…" I'm a little surprised at how alien my own voice sounds, gravelly and tired from lack of use. I clear my dry throat in an attempt to sound more human. "I'm gonna kill those idiots when I find them…" I chuckle to myself before starting my laborious climb across the heaps and mounds of wreckage that had earlier that night been a fine hotel building.

A few times I come across the bodies of men from the Ombra family, but none were as lucky as I was. We didn't see any escape, including their boss Fiello, but that didn't mean none made it out. Personally, though, I've got a feeling many of them are buried somewhere in the mess I'm trekking across.

_**I've got to find my way back  
><strong>__**Retrace my steps so I can prove to you that  
><strong>__**I'm alive**_

As I reach the edge of the hotel rubble and begin a much easier walk across smooth land, I happen to glance up at the sky. There are no clouds, and the moon and stars are shining bright. The moon… It's full tonight, shedding a brilliant glow which lights my path almost like broad daylight. I love full moons, mostly because for a while now, they've always reminded me of one thing.

Hana.

_**Crawling my way back to the place I know is meant for me  
><strong>__**To find my way back  
><strong>__**Find my way back home**_

She's like my moon, a soft glow shining in otherwise dark surroundings. It's been that way since one night six years ago, when I was twenty. The house my parents and sister had lived in had just burned down. Kyoko hadn't been home at the time thankfully, but our parents weren't so lucky…

"_Brother? You still there?"_

"_I…" I'd almost dropped the phone in my hand after hearing the news Kyoko had given seconds before. A fire? At home? And… Mom and Dad…_

"_I'm sorry," she said. Her voice sounded strained, like she'd been crying. "They… They're both…"_

"_A-And," I finally choked out after a beat of silence, "the house…?"_

"_Gone," came her reply. "Everything is gone. It's all ashes…"_

"_No way…" I couldn't believe it. Too bad the shock wasn't over._

"_There's more…" She sounded regretful as she continued to speak. "I've… decided to move to America."_

_This time I did drop my phone. America? Where had that come from? "What do you mean?" I asked her once my phone was back in my hand and pressed against the side of my face._

"_Well, you know how I've been thinking of going to medical school?" Of course I knew this. She'd graduated from Nami High a year ago but hadn't applied to university just yet, claiming she'd needed more time to think about things. Well lately she'd been talking seriously about applying to medical school to become a doctor, maybe even about going international. But I'd never thought she was serious. "My home, our parents, it's all gone. I've been thinking, and… It's the right opportunity, you know? I'm moving to America to start over and… get my career going. Yuji's coming with me." I was vaguely annoyed that she'd confided in her boyfriend before me, but that was insignificant compared to the shock I was feeling at the series of atomic bombs she'd just dropped on me all at once._

_This was too much to hear in one phone call. The house I'd grown up in was gone. Our parents… were gone. And now Kyoko was moving to a country thousands of miles away. I was overwhelmed to say the least._

"_When are you leaving?" I was surprised at how emotionless my voice sounded. It was like a ghost was standing in my place, speaking for me. Kyoko was silent for a second, and I wondered if she noticed._

"_Two weeks," she answered quietly. I may have been imagining it, but I thought I heard an increase in the regret laced in her voice. Instantly I felt worse._

_I cleared my throat away from the phone and tried to speak a bit more like a living human being. "Think you can spare some time for your brother before you go jet-setting off around the world?" I asked in a light tone of mock-sarcasm. I could hear her tiny giggle through the phone. "We should… hold a service for Mom and Dad…"_

"_Of course I can," she replied. I could hear the smile in her voice. "…Brother," she began after a minute, her tone different from before. "Would you… want to come with me? To America?"_

_Go with her? I hadn't even considered that. But as much as I would miss my only sister, my answer to that was obvious. "Sorry, Kyoko, but… You know, they need me here." I couldn't imagine leaving now._

"_I understand." She sounded a little let down. "It was worth a try to ask. I should go, though. I've got arrangements to make and stuff…"_

"_Right," I said, somewhat dejected. "Thanks for calling me. I'll see you soon, okay?"_

"_Okay. 'Bye, Brother."_

_I listened to the sound of her hanging up before shutting my phone. Once I'd disconnected and my apartment was quiet again, my mood dropped considerably as the reality of the loss I'd just suffered hit me. My parents… they were dead. Gone. I couldn't even remember what had happened the last time I'd seen them, not knowing that afterwards I'd never get another chance. I felt numb, cold, like I didn't know what I was supposed to do or how I was supposed to feel. I walked silently across the room and sank heavily onto the couch, staring at the ceiling._

_A few hours later, the solid silence was broken abruptly by the sound of my phone ringing from where it still rested in my left hand. I lazily lifted my arm to squint at the caller ID. It was Hana._

_It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to her specifically, more that I really didn't want to talk to anyone. I let my arm fall back to its previous position, allowing the shrill ringing to continue to reverberate around the dark room. It rang five times before stopping, silence taking over once more. I felt kind of bad for ignoring her call; she was probably just checking to see how I was feeling. But to be honest, I wasn't sure my voice would work even if I wanted it to._

_Not long after the quiet ensued, however, the air was broken once again by the high-pitched ringing originating from my left hand. Once again I glanced at the caller ID and was unsurprised to see Hana's name flashing on the screen. This time however, I pressed the call button and brought the phone to my ear. Just as I'd expected, the words wouldn't come._

"_Hey," Hana said when I remained silent. "You okay?"_

"_Y-Yeah," I forced out, my voice hoarse. "Of course! Don't worry about me." That was the last thing I wanted, really._

"_Do you… want me to come over?" She sounded genuinely concerned. It seemed my act wasn't fooling her._

_I wanted more than anything to say 'yes', just so I could see one familiar face that I knew wasn't leaving any time soon. But I knew if I did, she would only end up worrying more. So instead, I bit my tongue and said, "No, you don't have to do that. I'm fine, really. Thanks, though."_

_She was silent for a moment, during which I wondered what she was thinking, if she'd bought it or not. "…I'll be there in twenty minutes, okay?"_

_This time I didn't argue. I only smiled as she hung up the phone, shaking my head at her ability to always know what I'm thinking, regardless of how I act or what I say._

_True to her word, the doorbell rang roughly twenty minutes later. I got up off the couch and went to answer it._

"_You really didn't need to come, you know," I told Hana unnecessarily. "I'm doing fine."_

_She glanced over her shoulder. "Let's go for a walk."_

"_A walk?" I repeated, surprised. "It's almost midnight." She only shrugged in reply, before taking my hand and proceeding to lead me downstairs and outside the building._

_It was a warm, autumn night, with a clear sky and light breeze. Believe it or not, it actually helped to raise my spirits a little._

"_Kyoko told me about what happened," Hana said after a while of simply walking in silence, though she didn't need to. I'd figured as much. "I'm… sorry about, you know…"_

"_Yeah, me too…" I smiled and squeezed her hand. "Thanks for coming."_

_She returned the smile. "You can't fool me with that 'I'm fine' act anymore, you know." She nudged me in the arm jokingly, making me laugh a little._

"_Did Kyoko tell you she's moving away?" I asked conversationally._

"_What?" Hana said, sounding genuinely surprised, and surprising me in turn. "She didn't tell me that."_

_Our pace slowed a bit as I explained to her what Kyoko had told me about her plans. Hana was all but shocked at the news, but she covered quickly and insisted that we'd still be able to talk to her often, and that it really would be good for her. I could tell Hana was really trying to cheer me up, but so much had happened that night I wasn't sure if that would be possible for a while._

_Before long we somehow ended up outside the front gate of Namimori Middle School, like our feet had carried us there habitually. "It's been a while, huh?" Hana mused, a small, nostalgic smile on her face. She turned to look at me, the full moon reflecting in her eyes. "Wanna go inside?"_

"_You know, we're not technically supposed to enter the school this late," I scolded mockingly. She only giggled and proceeded to climb over the gate and drop down to the soft grass on the other side. I followed her, shaking my head._

_Once inside the grounds, she made her way into the middle of the front yard, where she dropped down on the grass on her back and started waving her arms back and forth in rhythm._

"_What are you doing?" I asked in wonder. I wouldn't dare tell her, but she looked a little ridiculous._

"_I'm making a grass angel," she answered matter-of-factly. Of course. A grass angel._

"_You can't make a grass angel," I told her, wondering why she was acting so strange. "Even in broad daylight it wouldn't show up."_

"_So?" she continued to argue. "Anything can be an angel. And just because you can't see something, that doesn't mean it isn't there."_

_I stared at her, whatever I'd been about to say lost. A tiny smile forced its way onto my face. Since when was Hana so wise? Whatever the reason, she may have been achieving the impossible by actually making me feel better._

_I shook my head and walked over to where she now lay still, lying down beside her and staring up at the clear, night sky._

"_The moon is bright tonight," she said absently. And she was right. It seemed almost like the full moon was brighter than usual. It was so bright, in fact, that it blinded the glow of the stars around it, making them invisible, and surrounding it in darkness._

"_It looks… lonely," I noticed quietly. It sounded kind of cynical, and I all but kicked myself for saying it. But hey, maybe the way I was feeling about my family all leaving me at once had something to do with it._

_Hana was quiet for a moment, before speaking in a slow, careful voice. "You know, travelling with friends is nice sometimes. But when you spend a little time alone, with no one to distract you, I think that's when it's easiest for you to find your own way."_

_I turned my head to look at her. "You… think so?"_

_She nodded. "Maybe that's why Kyoko's leaving, too. Maybe she just needs an opportunity to go her own way without anything holding her back."_

"_Hmm…" To some people, this may have sounded more cynical than what I'd said earlier. But to someone like Hana, this made sense. And as someone who understood her more than most other people in the world, I understood too. And not only that, but she'd done it again. She was raising my dulled spirits with every sentence. I sat up and stretched my arms. "Well, if that's what Kyoko's thinking, then maybe I should try harder, too. For her sake."_

"_No," Hana corrected me, sitting up and looking me in the eye. "Not for her sake. For yours." I glanced over at her, puzzled. "Don't get me wrong, it's great to do things for others. But there are times when you have to do things for you, otherwise they won't mean anything. Finding the balance between helping others and helping yourself, it's different for everyone. That's what it means to make your own path."_

_Wow. That was all I could think. I'd always known Hana to be kind and caring deep down, but she was hardly ever one to give such great advice. This time, I couldn't help but grin. Suddenly it seemed like even though I'd lost so much in one night, everything would still be… okay. It was exactly what I needed to hear._

"_Thanks, Hana," I said in a quiet voice. She smiled in reply._

"_Hey, even the sun gets covered in darkness sometimes," she went on, shrugging. "When that happens, all he needs is someone to help him find his own light again."_

_I shifted sideways and wrapped my arms around her, feeling her return the embrace without hesitation. "Then it's a good thing I have you," I said._

_She leaned back and nodded, grinning. "Yes, it is," she agreed shamelessly. I laughed in reply, as she stood and held out her hand to me. "Let's play tag," she suggested, catching me very much off guard once again that night._

"_What's gotten into you?" As I allowed her to pull me up from the ground, I really thought she was playing some kind of joke. "Tag, seriously? It's so dark out here."_

_She shook her head. "No, there's plenty of light. You just have to open your eyes and see it." With that she turned and ran, laughing, toward the school building. I stood there for a few minutes, a dumbfounded smile on my face, before snapping out of it and rushing after her._

_**One mile left  
><strong>__**It lasts a lifetime**_

For a while now, Hana's always had a habit of helping cheer me up any time I need it. Whenever I'm with her, I feel like she's one of the smartest, strongest, most sure people I'd ever known. The only problem, however, is that she tends to worry. A lot. When it comes to me and my recklessness, she always seems sad and frustrated. I know there's a lecture waiting for me back home, especially when she sees me like this.

I'm pretty much covered in dust, dirt, and bruises. The wound in my shoulder has, without the splinter keeping it sealed, begun to bleed steadily, soaking my entire right arm and rendering it pretty much useless. My head is still spinning, making my trek across the slowly-lightening, early morning streets somewhat less than easy. Yup, Hana isn't exactly gonna be happy with me.

But I know that doesn't matter. No matter what manner of verbal abuse I'm headed for, I _have_ to make it back. After all, just imagine how angry she'd be if I didn't.

_**Like a promise kept  
><strong>__**Under the weight of the world**_

When I finally reach Namimori, just as the sun is starting to rise, saying I'm barely conscious probably would probably be an understatement. I figure Hana's probably at the Vongola mansion, seeing as that's where she typically stays while we're away, so I make my way straight there, stumbling along and leaning heavily on anything within my reach.

_**Falling down on your shoulder  
><strong>__**It's colder**_

I pull open the gate upon reaching it and drag myself as best I can up the path to the door. It feels like every muscle in my body is both on fire and going numb at the same time. I can barely see two feet in front of me, and I'm pretty sure my right arm is just… gone. But I'm almost there. Just a little farther.

_**I've got to find my way back  
><strong>__**Retrace my steps so I can prove to you that  
><strong>__**I'm alive**_

A tired smile on my face, I grip the doorknob tightly in my left hand and turn it quickly. When I pull on the door, however, it feels oddly heavier than I remember it, like there's an extra weight attached to the other side. A lo and behold, as I yank it open, someone is indeed holding onto the other side of the knob, someone who loses their balance at the unexpected force and falls—naturally—right on top of me, sending us both crashing backward and causing me to land hard on my back on the pavement two steps below.

"Ow…" I grunt, now completely unable to move. The person on top of me lifts their head to apologize but freezes in the process.

So do I. It's Hana.

Her eyes are red and her cheeks are flushed and blotchy. It's obvious she's been crying. And I don't need two guesses as to the reason for her tears.

"Ryohei!" she shrieks with eyes as wide as saucers. I offer a weak smile, and she throws her arms around me, squeezing out what little life I have left. "I thought… you were…"

_**Crawling my way back to the place I know is meant for me  
><strong>__**To find my way back  
><strong>__**Find my way back home**_

The death hug is a bit painful, as it puts pressure on my many wounds, but I do my best not to let it on. "Come on, would I let myself die from something as small as a twenty-three-story building falling on me?" She laughs, making me realize how much I'd missed the sound of her laughter. After a brief moment, she lets go of me and moves to sit beside me.

"You look _awful_," she finally notices, her expression changing instantly from joy to concern. "Did you walk all the way back like that?"

I allow a sheepish grin to spread across my face as I give an awkward sort of laugh in response. She looks about to start the lecture when (thankfully) Gokudera and Bianchi suddenly appear at the open doorway, the latter wearing opaque sunglasses.

"What's going on out—?" Gokudera's voice trails off when he sees me, his eyes widening and a look of obvious relief appearing on his face. "You're…"

I fix him with a pointed look. "Thanks for leaving me back there," I say in a tone of false sarcasm.

_**Find my way back home**_

A pained expression strikes his face as he cringes at the joke. "I'm sorry," he offers immediately, shaking his head. "It was just… the Tenth…"

At once I feel bad about saying what I did, even if I hadn't meant it. It's clear he really does feel terrible about leaving. "Hey, man, it's okay," I insist, waving my left arm off-handedly. "How is Sawada?" I realize I'd forgotten about the condition our friend was in the last I saw him.

"Well…" Gokudera starts, looking like he isn't sure how to answer.

"We don't know yet," Bianchi finishes for him, looking tired. "They closed the wound and cancelled out the flames, but he's already lost a lot of blood and suffered some serious internal damage. We… haven't been told much else since he got back."

"Aw, you know Sawada," I say confidently. "He'll be back on his feet in no time." Past experiences with our boss have taught us all one thing: it's almost impossible to keep him down. That's probably why everyone seems to agree with my sentiment.

Hana stands up and brushes herself off, offering a hand to help me do the same. I make the stupid mistake of giving her my right hand, which she pulls to bring me to my feet. The strain of course yanks on my wounded shoulder like a brand new wooden dagger, making me hiss in pain and cringe very noticeably.

"We should get you a bed in the med wing too," Bianchi observes in an almost reprimanding tone, though there's concern in her eyes.

Gokudera takes a step forward to help me, but Hana's faster. "I've got it," she tells him, moving to my left and hanging my uninjured arm around her shoulders for support. Gokudera smiles and he and Bianchi back out of the way so we can finally get through the door.

_**Cause I've been  
><strong>__**Crawling my way back to the place I know is meant for me  
><strong>__**To find my way back**_

On the way to the medical wing, Hana tells me what happened earlier that night, how the others all came back without me and how Gokudera told her the news about my supposed fate. She decided just now that she'd had enough of the mansion for the day and was about to leave when she ran into me—quite literally, actually. I tell her, in turn, how I escaped death and forced my way back home, knowing she wouldn't be happy with me if I just gave up.

See? Even when she doesn't know it or isn't trying, she's still always the force that drives me to keep going. In my darkest hours, my loneliest nights, she's the moon that brightens my sky. Sure, it's cheesy, but that's how love is sometimes. You say things you wouldn't normally say, do things you wouldn't normally do, think things you wouldn't normally think. One thing, though, would always be true, no matter what.

_**Find my way back home**_

If I was the sun and she was the moon, then as long as we lived in the same sky—one in darkness and one in light—my world would keep on turning.

* * *

><p>Done with two! Much happier ending, huh? *ahem* BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! Don't forget to look for the next in the series, Spring Star!<p>

~oMM


End file.
